Gardeners World last Fri showed gardening in the 20’s, all ladies gardening team complete with Simor rotovater and using a Planet seed drill, both items still used today by our members.
A comment on the program stated that ladies make better gardeners. Any views on this lol
Must watch that on i player. If it is the piece of film I think it is then it was filmed at Waterperry near Oxford, a gardening college for ladies set up by Miss Havergal.
Yes Charlie, it was. No sound on film but good to see SIMAR as it would have been when nearly new. I’ve seen it before somewhere. Also a Farmers Boy(I think, only a small glimpse).
As for women making better gardeners, not sure, but my mother could handle a Hatz Gem with the best of them, sometimes working all day with it, so maybe a grain of truth to it!
That piece of film is included on the DVD ‘Dibbers & Dungarees’ by Mary Spiller.
Factory records show Rototiller model 56 serial number 560151 went to Miss B Havergal at Waterperry School of Horticulture on 21st March 1949.
About 47 years ago my parents attended a series of Saturday gardening classes at Waterperry and Miss Havergal was one of the teachers. My brother and I spent the time in the canteen at Waterperry while mum & dad where having instruction in gardening techniques. What I didn’t realise at the time was the significant role Miss Havergal played in horticultural education of women.
There is an interesting museum on site.
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